1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a rear vehicle structure; more specifically, to a structure for the rear portion of an electric automobile such as a fuel cell-powered automobile or like vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
The rear end of a conventional electric automobile includes a sub-frame having crush-deforming parts (for example, side members) and bend-deforming parts (for example, fuel cell support members attached to the ends of the side members) which support a fuel cell body, hydrogen tank, or like component. This structure allows the impact of a rear-end collision to be absorbed by the sub-frame, as disclosed at pages 2-4 and FIG. 5 of Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication 2003-127907.
The vehicle structure described in the 2003-127907 Japanese patent publication, however, is assembled from a plurality of frame members, thereby creating a complex structure requiring additional components that increase weight, add expense, and require multiple procedures to assemble.